Teaching Philosophy

 As a mathematics instructor at the University of Missouri, my teaching philosophy is centered on fostering a balanced learning environment that nurtures both confidence and curiosity in students. My experience spans a range of courses, from introductory to graduate levels, emphasizing the importance of conceptual understanding and practical problem-solving. In my teaching, I prioritize creating an engaging and supportive atmosphere, using real-world examples to demystify mathematics and make it accessible. My role extends beyond the classroom, as I mentor students at various academic levels, guiding them in their academic pursuits and professional development. This journey of teaching is a continuous path of learning and growth, always seeking innovative ways to inspire and connect with a diverse student body. 

For more details see my CV.

"The way Sean explained things was very clear. And he made sure to repeat things to make sure everyone had time to process what he did. He met with us five times a week and still made time to host extra lectures or record videos when we needed extra help before an exam."-(From Calc II SP2023)

"Sean is very enthusiastic about math, I can tell he really has a passion for it. He's also really good at thoroughly explaining difficult concepts, and is awesome at being available for extra help."- (From College Algebra SP2019)

"He is the best professor I have ever had! He is very enthusiastic and loves when we ask questions. I don·t feel bad or shy to ask him questions because of his welcoming behavior. He is very different from other professors that I had before, if something is wrong he doesn·t says it·s wrong or it is what it is but he takes time to explain why it is wrong and teaches the right way of doing it. He always makes sure that everyone is understanding and encourages us to learn it and gives real life applications of what we are learning which is very motivating. The way he teaches and organizes the classes is always the best! After taking his class I started loving math. I can continue writing tons of good stuff about him because he deserves it! 10/10"-(From Precalculus SP2022)

"I think for how fast the pace of Calc 2 is, my instructor did everything he could to ensure that we had the resources to do well in this course. Overall, Sean was a great professor."-(From Calc II SP2023)

"This is the best math teacher that I've ever had." -(From Precalculus SP2022)

"Excellent instructor. Very enthusiastic and even more knowledgeable." -(From Precalculus SP2022)

"Sean is the best professor that I have had. He is extremely intelligent but explains things in ways that make it easy for us to understand. His class is very enjoyable considering it is such a challenging math class."-(From Calc II SP2023)

"I believe that this instructor involved the students in the lessons well by asking questions to keep them thinking and engaged in the lesson." -(From Precalculus SP2022)

"Professor Douglas makes everyone feel welcome. He fosters a very fun environment and truthfully makes going to class enjoyable. The teaches the content fully and is always open to questions in order to help." -(From Precalculus FS2022)

"The professor made the course material very approachable and fun. I also enjoyed how he taught the importance of the material besides simply memorizing." -(From Precalculus FS2022)

"It was all laid out very nice and assignments were very easy to locate" -(From Precalculus FS2022)

"Not boring lectures. Sean actually liked what he was doing"-(From Precalculus FS2022)

"I am not a huge math person, but Sean made this course much more enjoyable for me. He interacted with us and was really relatable. He would go above and beyond to help us and truly wanted all of us to get a good grade. I 100% don't think I would've done as well if he did not do all these things. Easily favorite teacher I have right now."-(From Finite Math FS2019)

"The class itself wasn’t too difficult, but it actually provided useful math that we can use later in life. "-(From Quantitative Reasoning SP2020)

"I really loved this class. It stimulated thinking and understanding and was very much relevant to my major. Every nursing major should take this class. You learn so much about conversions and dosages which is a vital part of your career in the future."-(From Quantitative Reasoning FS2021)

"The many examples of each type of question was great -- I also liked the simplified explanations and formulas - made it so much easier to remember"-(From Quantitative Reasoning FS2021)

"Mr. Douglas was a great teacher. He made sure everyone was aware when his office hours were on multiple occasions and would sit down with you for the full time until you understood the concept. Would recommend Mr. Douglas to my peers, as a teacher, for any class."-(From College Algebra FS2018)

"Even though we had class at 9am everyday, Mr. Douglas still came in with enthusiasm. He also made sure we were well prepared for exams, which helped a lot."-(From College Algebra FS2018)

"The way he went through questions step by step made it easier to remember the process and what to do when looking at a similar problem on a quiz or test."-(From College Algebra FS2018)

"Sean was enthusiastic about the subject and made the material clear. I hated math and was dreading this class...but I'm actually enjoying it a lot and will get a good grade. That has a lot to do with the instructor making the content clear. "-(From College Algebra SP2019)

"Sean Douglas has been an excellent TA for this class, and has been very clearly invested in wanting his students to succeed. He is punctual and well prepared for each session, as well as extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Looked forward to this discussion session each week to remedy any areas where I was struggling. I'm not sure what Sean's career plans are, but I hope he considers teaching math at this college as a professor himself. 11/10, would take a class from him again."-(From Calc I SP2021)

"The teaching from the instructor was really good, because his explanations and teachings were easy to understand and learn. Also he responded to the student's questions very well, that i was able to get a lot of help too!"-(From Calc I SP2021)

"difficult topics but Sean explained them super well and helped simplify them."-(From Calc I SP2021)

"Sean was really good at taking the time to explain difficult concepts and overall taught them very well. He always made sure to try to explain things in different ways for things others didn't understand and tried to apply concepts to other concepts to better our understanding. Overall, he was a really good and helpful TA!"-(From Calc I SP2021)

"Sean Douglas was the best TA I have ever had at Mizzou, he can relate to the students and can help them understand hard topics. He is always available for extra help."-(From Calc I SP2021)

"I loved this course. This is just yet another great math course I have taken that has been better than I could have expected. the thing about this course that made it the way was is the people. both the TA I had and the professor were extremely experienced and have really good examples and ways to explain things. If you don't want to feel lost in this course, there's no reason you should, there are plenty of recourses."-(From Calc I SP2021)

"The instructor was really engaging and he took the time to learn most of our names. It doesn't sound like much but we only met twice a week and my class didn't talk much but it still meant so much that he knew our names. He also made it a great atmostphere because of how passionate he was about what he was teaching. I would recommend this instructor to anyone, he was funny, engaging, and a great teacher"-(From Calc I FS2021)

"This discussion section really helped to flesh out and understand the course material. I attended almost all, if not all of the sessions, including homework discussion, and I can say that I'm glad I did. The instructor was a great help with understanding and practicing the course material, and communicated core concepts well."-(From Calc I FS2021)

"The TA was extremely knowledgeable and eager to help. He worked through problems in an easy to understand way. I wouldn't have been able to do my homework without this discussion. He was always ready to explain it a different way, also, if we needed. He understood that we had to complete some on our own, but he also provided help."-(From Calc I FS2021)

"i liked the way sean taught, he was very approachable and answered every question. he always made us feel like our questions were valid which is a good thing, and went out of his way to go back over something we didnt understand"-(From Calc II SP2023)

"Sean was a great instructor. Made everything we touched interesting and thoroughly prepared us for all test."-(From Finite Math FS2019)

"I really liked how well everything was explained. In math, I feel like the only effective way to really learn is by doing practice problems and professor douglas did a really good job with this. "-(From Calc for Life Sciences FS2020)